Dig Hops while growin' ??

[MT2sum]

Hi;
I may have sold my place here in Montana, and will hopefully be moving to Tennessee within the next two months. My hops are from a bunch of plants that came to Montana in the late 1800's/early 1900's. No idea what kind of hops they are, or what country they came from, but I'd really like to take some of them with me when I move. Any advice on digging them up while they are growing (about 1 - 2 months old right now), and preserving them for a couple of weeks while we are moving? I am already assuming they won't grow up later this year, but I'd like to grow them for next year. I don't know a lot about hop growing, I dug them up a few years back from a neighbor's yard who was going to pour gasoline on them to kill them, I planted them in the late part of the summer, and they came up in the Spring.. I had two good years with them and then, was away for two -40F Winters, and right now they are growing like wildfire. What I'm trying to say is that they are very cold hardy, becuz they are only a few inches below the surface of the ground. Any advice would be appreciated, and helpful, l don't know if I need to keep them moist or dry (put them in wood chips?), so any advice would be helpful. If you know anything about doing the same for rhubarb, we are also taking some of those plants too.
Thanx,
MT2sum.

 

[Joggin]

Good that you saved them from the gasoline. If it were me, I'd leave them in the ground until you are ready to move then dig up. Depending on how big, you could pot them up. Or most likely, you'll get some real big. I'd stick them in a canvass bag with moist compost and stick it in a dark spot in the garage over winter. Or better, plant them in Tennessee as soon as you find a spot and let them overwinter.
Good luck

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I had to dig mine up last summer early june after they started growing and move them.
they didn't do much but this yr are going strong.

also, they may of started a few inches down but i'll bet they are deeper now.
if it were me i'd wait until the last possible moment to trim them short, dig them up and put them in home depot buckets with as much of their soil that will fit then transport them via car on the day you head to your new home.
don't over water because it will sit in the bottom of the bucket and just plant them as soon as you get to Tennessee.

they should bounce back next yr.

 

[MT2sum]

Thanks for your advice! The vines are all about 12 feet in the air now, they've outgrown the strings ..... we're moving the 22nd, so I'll cut the vines off at about 3 or 4 inches, dig them up and keep them moist - I've got plenty of buckets w/lids, so that will work out great. Thanx a bunch!!
MT2sum

 

[Saunassa]

Did they survive the move and if so did they grow back this year?